The invention generally relates to a timing device and more specifically to an electronic solid state timing device that electro-optically displays seconds, minutes, hours, day of the month, day of the week, month and (when required) displays AM and PM either sequentially or selectively and selectively provides the correct time and day of the week of a plurality of different time zones around the world.
Some of the existing solid state timing devices are taught by the following U.S. Pat. Nos.:
3,844,105 teaches the use of two rings of sixty indicating elements. One ring displays the hour and the other two rings cooperating indicate the minute. There are no other features provided for in this device.
3,889,458 teaches a combination of an analog and a digital display. The digital display provides the hour and minute in one mode and the date in another mode. The analog display indicates the day of the week in one mode and ten second indications in the other mode. There are no other features provided for in this invention.
3,922,847 teaches only three functions, namely, hour, minute and seconds. The time indicator means is an inner ring of twelve display elements with one continuously energized to indicate the hour, a second outer ring of sixty display elements, one of which is continuously energized to indicate the minute and one which is energized in a pulsating manner to indicate the second.
3,955,350 teaches a single ring of sixty indicators for indicating the hour, minutes and seconds. The seconds are stepped and displayed in one second intervals around the sixty indicators, the minute is stepped around the clock at sixty second intervals and is energized every two seconds and the hour is stepped every sixty minutes and is continuously energized.
3,962,858 teaches a timing device having certain available outputs, namely seconds, minutes, hours, days of the month in a sequential order. Although no display means is claims, it is taught that a single display means may be utilized for these displays.
9,986,333 teaches means for displaying hours, minutes and/or seconds only, no other indications are taught.
4,007,583 teaches the use of a single ring of twelve indicators. The hour indication is held constant, the minutes are displayed in the five minute positions of a normal clock, the month and days are indicated by modulating the energizing of the ring of twelve indicators at various frequencies. This device is quite hard to read specifically with multi-different frequencies.
4,041,692 teaches the use of two 60 LED matrixes and an additional 12 LED matrix. There are no teachings to provide selective time zone around the world.
These teachings do not provide the number of different functions nor the ease or reading of the display for the various functions as does the device of the instant invention.